Broken
by smilegirl456
Summary: She didn't come to Tulsa willingly, and now that she's here, all she wants to do is leave as quickly as she came. But the past that she's running from is quickly catching up to her, as Ponyboy Curtis, the boy who won't leave her alone, is about to discover...


It had been a long time since she had been to Tulsa. Her only memories of it consisted mostly of a vague recollection of narrow streets and tall buildings, kind of like back home, except much less crowded. But just because it wasn't as rough of a town didn't mean she would let her guard down. If anyone tried any funny stuff with her, she could take care of him, easy.

A bitter smile curved her lips as she thought about what her friends would say if they knew how much she'd changed. But she'd refused to see any of them before she left, and they doubtless thought she was still an idiot who pranced around in fancy dresses that cost a small fortune and thought of nothing but the latest gossip. It made her sick to think that she'd been like that once, not so long ago. Not so long ago at all.

Now, as she stepped out of the train and looked around her, she wasn't surprised to see that Tulsa was about as welcoming as she'd expected. This part of town looked bleak and unpromising, with cracked sidewalks, vacant lots, and abandoned buildings everywhere. But this _was_ a rough neighborhood, and anyway, the place suited her mood.

So she smiled as she headed towards the edge of the train station's platform, part of her wondering vaguely why the station was in this part of town anyway. Wouldn't people want to keep the ugliness hidden? That was how it usually worked, in her experience. No one wanted the dark things out in the open, because then they'd have to deal with them instead of pretending they didn't exist.

She realized she was clenching her fists and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Why was she getting so worked up over a damn_ train station_? It didn't matter. None of this mattered, and if she didn't calm down, she'd make a fool of herself in front of everyone. Some of her training from her old life kicked in, and she straightened her spine as she made her way through the crowd. After all, she was a Forbes, wasn't she? She couldn't, no, _wouldn't_ let things get to her this easily.

Suddenly, she heard a girl's voice ring out sharply. "Hey!"

She turned reluctantly, already knowing who she would see. Her cousin stood with her arms crossed, scowling, an accurate omen of what life with her aunt and uncle Forbes would be like.

"What took ya so long?" Sylvia demanded. "I was so tired of waitin' for you I almost went to sleep!"

She resisted the urge to tell her cousin that it wasn't her fault the train was late. "I'm sorry."

Sylvia rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's get the hell out of here."

She didn't offer to help carry her cousin's luggage, but it would've been odd if she had. Sylvia never helped anyone without a good reason. As they talked, she droned on and on about the boy she'd broken up with. Well, that was what she _claimed_, but it was more likely that he'd dumped her, judging by the way she was ranting and raving about it. Odd, because it was usually Sylvia who was the one to end things. After all, she always had her newest boyfriend wrapped around her finger. But maybe this boy had been smart enough to see what a bitch she was...

Her fingernails dug into her palms as Sylvia continued to ramble that she was sure he was fucking all her best friends. Why was her cousin so self absorbed? Did she really not care about what had happened? Didn't she feel the slightest bit concerned? Of course she didn't. Sylvia had never cared about anyone but herself, and she'd been stupid to think that would change.

They finally reached the Forbes' home, and she stood in the yard for a moment, gazing at it, thinking how different it was from their upscale apartment back home. This house wasn't anywhere near what she was used to, but maybe that was a good thing. It would make it easier not to think about what had happened That Night.

Sylvia let out a huff of disgust, interrupting her thoughts. "Did I tell you, the door in my room won't lock anymore! I don't know how it happened, but Dal and I were having a little fun, and then Karen walked in on us...You should've seen the little snot's face. She looked like she was gonna faint or somethin'."

She immediately sympathized with Karen. Any ten year old girl would probably be shocked at the sight of Sylvia's definition of 'fooling around', especially Karen, who was quiet and withdrawn. She had never received much affection from either her parents or her older sister. The only one who ever tried to understand her was her cousin.

Sylvia elbowed her hard, and she barely restrained herself from slapping the other girl. "What did you say?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "I _said_, you wanna see your room? It ain't nothin' fancy like you had back in the city, but at least you ain't gotta share with the brat."

_Your sister__ has a name._

"Okay."

When she entered her room, she wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but this wasn't it. Although the small space was plain and contained little furniture, it seemed perfect to her. Tears stung her eyes for a moment, and she fixed them firmly on the ground until the danger passed. Once she was certain that her eyes were completely dry, she turned to thank Sylvia, but her cousin had already left.

She felt a rush of relief at being alone, completely alone, for the first time in weeks. At the funeral and afterwards, people had surrounded her and her brother, offering condolences and advice, until she felt as though she would explode from their constant attention. And after she had attempted to take her own life, Kyle had refused to leave her alone.

Even though they had had little money left by then, he had manged to employ someone to watch her, as though she were an unruly toddler. If she wanted to kill herself now...no one could stop her in time. Maybe they wouldn't even bother. The thought sent a thrill down her spine. And then a face flashed into her mind. It was there for only an instant, but she felt her will to live return, if only temporarily. She wouldn't be like _her_. Not yet, anyway.

Two days later, and Sylvia had left the house before either her cousin or her sister was awake. This meant that Karen would be under her cousin's care all day, as the kid couldn't be trusted on her own. She was easily frightened and had been known to panic in situations that should never have caused her to become the slightest bit anxious. But Karen was a good kid, and it wouldn't be too much of a chore to keep an eye on her, especially since Sylvia wouldn't be around.

She'd been home the first two days, but only to make clear what things her cousin would be expected to do, including the dishes, the laundry, and the meals. She knew that her Aunt Forbes and Sylvia rarely washed clothes or cooked meals anyway, and she had expected to be told that they were now her duties, but it the knowledge that her relatives considered her little better than a maid still stung. But Aunt and Uncle Forbes weren't warm people by nature, and Sylvia wasn't affectionate at all, unless it was with her newest boyfriend.

When Karen woke up, she wondered into the kitchen, where her cousin was already washing the dishes. The child rubbed her eyes sleepily, then asked, "Where's Sylvia?"

The question made the other girl's heart sink. "She's out with her friends, and she won't be back all day."

Disappointment filled Karen's eyes. "But Syl said that she'd take me to the park with her!"

"I know. I'm sorry. Maybe she forgot."

_Like hell she did._

"It's okay." Karen mumbled sulkily. And then she added hopefully, "_You'll _take me to the park, won't you?"

Her cousin sighed. She had so many things she needed to do, but she could never resist Karen, especially not when Sylvia disappointed her. "All right. Go get dressed."

Karen grinned at her and scampered up the stairs eagerly, her earlier disappointment entirely forgotten. Her cousin felt a surge of longing to be so young and easily contented. If only the park was her greatest worry now, if only she hadn't come to Tulsa but ended it all back in the city...But it was too late to dwell on that now. She'd made her choice, and now she had to live by it. At least no one was watching her every move here, like they would have if she'd stayed.

When Karen reappeared, they headed outside, where they were greeted with a beautiful sunny day. It was early May, and the sky was achingly blue. There wasn't a cloud to be seen, and the sun shone brightly, making Karen's fine, blonde hair seem almost like a halo. Oh, how lovely it was...But it made her sad, too, that there was so much beauty in the world, and yet so much pain.

They reached the park, and Karen quickly climbed onto the nearest swing. As she pushed herself back and forth with her cousin watching, two boys suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and Karen slowed slightly, studying them curiously. She didn't seem afraid, but her cousin was wary. These were the kind of boys who'd tried to jump her back home.

But to her complete and utter shock, her small cousin leaped off the swing and ran over to the boys. "Johnny! Ponyboy!" She cried happily.

They grinned at her. One of them was small, with dark skin and hair, and large black eyes, but it was the second one who was more interesting. He was small as well, although not as small as the girl observing him. He was also rather handsome. The boy's reddish brown hair contrasted well with his grey-green eyes, and he was well built despite his size. Even though he was a hood, she had to admit that he was good looking. Very good looking.

But as soon as she realized it, her father's words replayed in her head.

_Some people call us stuck up for thinking we're better, but you know what? It's the goddamn truth. Those folks on the other side of town are trash. __They don't even deserve to breathe the same air as us.__Y__ou never read about people on our side raping and murdering each other, do you? Of course not. But them...I suppose they've got nothing better to do with their time. _Never _get involved with one of those boys, do you understand? In fact, don't even _look _at __one of them. It's just asking for trouble._

She came back to herself with a start, and realized that everyone was looking at her. Had she voiced her thoughts aloud? What would Karen think of her, saying things like that about these boys who she obviously admired? Oh, God. What was she going to do? The silence stretched on, and she felt her face growing redder by the minute. If only someone would say something, anything...


End file.
